Chapter 40: The Sponsor Is Li Bufan’s Father

The next day marked the beginning of a new week of study and life.

In the homeroom teacher Wu Wenbin’s office, he sat behind his desk, and in front of him sat Zhang Liying, Wei Xiaofan, and Wei Xiaoping, side by side.

“The reason I called the three of you in is to discuss with you the school’s upcoming model student selection for the grade this week. Tomorrow, the subject exams for the competition will begin—two subjects per day. I wanted to ask how your preparations are going,” Wu Wenbin began.

“Mr. Wu, has the school organized this kind of selection event before?” Zhang Liying asked.

“No. This is the first time since Liangzhi Middle School was established. Liying, do you have any thoughts about this?” Wu Wenbin replied.

“I thought maybe something similar had been held before. I wanted to ask you, Mr. Wu, to share what was done in previous years, so we could learn from experience,” Zhang Liying explained.

“No, this is the first time. Since I have no experience with this either, I wanted the three of you to brainstorm together with me,” Wu Wenbin said.

“Sir, for this model student selection, aside from academic performance, are there other criteria?” Wei Xiaoping inquired.

“Morality, intelligence, physical health, aesthetics, and labor—all are included. But since you’re students, learning is the main focus, so academic performance is the most important evaluation criterion. The other four are supplementary references,” Wu Wenbin replied.

“For academic performance, it’s clear it’s based on exam scores. But how will the other five categories be assessed?” Wei Xiaofan asked.

“The school leadership has discussed this with us homeroom teachers. The remaining categories will be evaluated through essays. For each, you will write an essay centered on the topic, exploring and elaborating on it,” Wu Wenbin explained.

“So, are we to argue what benefits or drawbacks the presence or absence of the topic brings to society?” Wei Xiaofan sought clarification.

“You can put it that way, Xiaofan. More importantly, you should guide readers on how to promote the positive development of the topic, and how to prevent its absence. Ultimately, your essay should convey what benefits and advantages the existence and promotion of the subject bring to humanity and society. That is the key,” Wu Wenbin emphasized.

“I think I get it. But I’ve never written this kind of essay before, and the approach might go beyond what we’ve learned in middle school. I’d need to look at some sample essays,” Wei Xiaofan admitted.

At this, a faint smile flickered across Wu Wenbin’s face, as though he agreed with Xiaofan’s assessment and felt confident in his ability to write such essays. He thought to himself: Today’s students are so clever, far more than I was in junior high.

“You’re right, Xiaofan. The essay method is indeed beyond the usual middle school scope, but if you have examples, you can imitate them. If you need to do research, you can visit the school library,” Wu Wenbin suggested.

“Hearing Xiaofan’s explanation, I feel more confident now. I believe I can finish the task, though I’m not sure how well I’ll do,” Zhang Liying said.

Wei Xiaoping also praised, “At first, I wasn’t sure either, but now after hearing both you and Xiaofan, I have more confidence.”

“Honestly, as your teacher, I don’t dare expect you to win the championship and the rewards. I just hope our class doesn’t fall behind too badly. Of course, if you do win and bring honor to our class, that would make me even happier,” Wu Wenbin said.

“No matter what, we’ll do our best—push our abilities to the limit,” Zhang Liying assured him.

“How many days will the selection last, sir? Will we have time to do research?” Wei Xiaoping asked.

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll have two subjects each day, finishing all six in three days. Thursday and Friday are for research, and then Saturday, Sunday, and next Monday are for essay writing. The selection assembly for the whole school will be held Friday morning next week,” Wu Wenbin explained.

“That’s a bit tight, and I’m not sure if we’ll be able to find example essays,” Wei Xiaofan remarked.

“It’s fine. If you can’t find any, just write according to your own thoughts. You all know what morality, intelligence, physical health, aesthetics, and labor mean. Follow the method Xiaofan mentioned. Since none of you have learned or written this before, just completing the task is enough,” Wu Wenbin reassured them.

“Mr. Wu, you mentioned earlier that there’s a reward for the champion. Isn’t it just a certificate for the top students and class? Is there anything else?” Zhang Liying asked.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. Besides the certificate for the top students and the class, the student who wins the championship will also receive a cash prize of one thousand yuan. The achievement will be recorded in the student’s file, which will be referenced during the high school or college entrance exams,” Wu Wenbin revealed.

“Really?” Zhang Liying exclaimed, while Wei Xiaofan and Wei Xiaoping looked at Wu Wenbin with delighted faces.

“Yes!” Wu Wenbin saw the excitement in the three students and explained, “Of course, the prize money isn’t from the school—the school doesn’t have that much money. It’s sponsored by a well-known entrepreneur from the city. The champion class’s students will also be eligible to participate in the citywide model student competition among all middle schools. If you win there, the prize money will be even greater!”

“Really?” Zhang Liying gasped, and both Wei Xiaoping and Wei Xiaofan smiled in surprise. Even though they weren’t sure if they could win, having the chance to participate was already something.

“Mr. Wu, do you know which entrepreneur is sponsoring this? It’s rare and wonderful that someone in our city cares so much about education,” Zhang Liying commented.

“This entrepreneur is the most famous real estate developer in our city. I hear he not only supports education but also sponsors other public causes. He’s Li Liangtian, chairman of Junmin Republic City Real Estate Company—and he’s also the father of our new classmate, Li Bufan,” Wu Wenbin replied.

Zhang Liying, Wei Xiaoping, and Wei Xiaofan were all taken aback at this revelation, exchanging glances with surprise. None of them had expected that the sponsor Wu Wenbin mentioned would turn out to be the father of their recently transferred classmate, Li Bufan.